@scholardad that post is pretty old. I ended up sending a 36 superscore, 34 composite ACT. I didn’t have a downward trend. I have B’s the exam’s and then only A’s for Senior and Junior year. I took a semester not year off from school.
Maybe UChicago.
@intparent I was crying and really upset when I wrote the post. It was MIT or Uchicago. I understand now that those schools are very different from bronw
Ok. So you have at least one great acceptance. 
Anything else is gravy at this point, assuming that the FA is workable at your EA school. You are going to college next fall!
The OP sent me a copy of what she wrote. Without disclosing too much, I will try to describe why I think the additional information didn’t help the OP.
- It was basically a historical recount of bad thing that happened in the OPs past
- The OP had self-diagnosis. There were statements like I suffered from xxx instead of I was diagnosed with xxx.
- The OP projected motives onto other people.
- The OP had other conjecture.
The last three show a lack critical writing skills that an AO is likely looking for in anything written as part of the application. However, I believe the largest issue is that the additional information didn’t support the idea that the OP would be a valuable member of the Brown class of 2023. It was a long explanation of why some grades were lower. The OP also tried weave in an ability to overcome obstacles theme. It didn’t have the desired effect because it was almost an afterthought. Instead of leaving me with a feeling of “yep, this is an excellent candidate for Brown”, I was thinking about how other adults (chaperone, medical professionals) completely failed in their responsibilities. I wasn’t really thinking about the OP at all.
Reading this strengthen my resolve that students shouldn’t write about the 5 D’s (death, divorce, disease, debt or depression) or other bad things. The OP would have been better served by a simple one or two sentences by the GC.
MIT and Brown are not looking for the exact same student profile. It is entirely conceivable that you were simply a more attractive candidate to MIT (especially given your work with girls who code) and that the decision to defer you at Brown was not materially impacted by what you wrote in the additional comment section that application. Most importantly congratulations on your accomplishments and your acceptance – all best wishes as you move forward.
What makes you so sure that it was the rape issue that kept you from being accepted? Brown accepts under 10% of its applicants, the vast majority of whom are all incredibly qualified.
OP I’m so sorry you were the victim of a violent crime. And happy for you that you’re moving forward with your life and will be going to a great school next year (MIT or U Chicago etc). Be sure to continue with whatever support you need to continue to heal. Onward and upward!
@Eeyore123 I am close with my GC but this is a different school. I did not want to tell her about it, as I didn’t want her to think of me differently. I know that what I did could have been construed as lacking critical thinking, but I think it was honesty. I know that it was probably not a good idea. I just thought that including it in the information section would add more context to my transcript. I was disappointed. I should have been more cognizant of the context of my application. I don’t deserve to go to Brown. I should be more thankful for not being rejected and apologize for wasting everyone’s time.
@TheBigChef thank you
So you didn’t want your GC thinking about you differently, but you put it out there for the admissions committees? What’s done is done, but you might go see your GC about this. Colleges often call GCs to discuss applicants. For your GC to say, “Huh? What are you talking about?” probably wouldn’t be too helpful in your application process. They may or may not call, but it does happen.
Again — this may have little or nothing to do with your Brown results. But go see your GC — it could make a difference with your other schools.
It’s not that you don’t deserve to go to Brown. I don’t think any student should take rejection from college personally. Colleges don’t have room for all the great students who apply, and nobody can really know for sure why they got accepted or not. Some other kid who applied to MIT is probably looking at their 2nd choice now too. If you got into a school you love and it’s affordable for your family that’s great. Go join their FB page and start getting to know your future classmates.
And don’t now swing the pendulum so far to the opposite side that you declare you don’t “deserve” Brown. You need perspective.
You weren’t rejected.
@alexandra00 Don’t every think you don’t deserve to go to Brown or any other school. You should never let an admissions officer who read your file for maybe 10 -15 minutes and who has never met you play any part in determining your self-worth. Rather the issue is that there are more people who are qualified to attend than there is space to accept. It is a numbers game. Sure it is OK to be disappointed especially since you gave the application your all, but now it is best to focus on the positives. Move forward and make the most of your college expereince wherever you end up.
Alexandra00- “I don’t deserve to go to Brown. I should be more thankful for not being rejected and apologize for wasting everyone’s time.”.
Few things on CC are universal, yet I am confident that everyone wishes you well, respects your courage and believes you “deserving” of attending any and all schools. These are emotional times but none of this is personal. No application can reveal the entire person nor can you expect all AOs to reach the same conclusions. Don’t try to figure out the cause behind results, it is a waste of energy and you will be wrong.
You future is bright, and given your successes you will likely be in a challenging environment next year. Don’t allow yourself to have self doubt, get support if you feel you need it and allow yourself to experience joy. You have apparently gotten into an amazing school…enjoy the view from the top of the mountain you have climbed.
@alexandra00 Sorry for your situation.
If Brown send you an acceptance letter in few days, what are you going to do?
With schools that accept only a small percentage of applicants, reframing becomes necessary. You were not rejected. You just weren’t accepted. It was more likely than not nothing personal. Probably 90 % of applications received were from qualified students. Many of those had perfect grades and near perfect test scores. The admission folk focus on “why we want this person” more than they focus on “why we are rejecting” the others.
Don’t let the lack of an acceptance to make you bitter or to see yourself as damaged or undesirable goods. Don’t blame this on the rape or it could get in the way of your healing process.
I speak as a survivor who learned the hard way to not blame everything on the abuse and to get out of a victim mentality.
@“International Dad” it has been my first choice by a massive margin for my entire life. We visited when I was 8, and I knew that it was the place for me. I would probably go and be happy. But, I’ve lost hope and don’t think I’ll get in
@alexandra00 : I have posted last spring the RD admitted rate for ED deferred students for class of 2021.
See http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/21370405/#Comment_21370405 to estimate your chances of being admitted in RD.
Neither MIT nor UChicago is ideal for you in my opinion. Ask your mom to watch https://www.today.com/video/mental-health-policies-at-universities-draw-increasing-concern-708889155922 and read my previous posts on mental health. If you are not familiar with UChicago core curriculum, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvxp2FcvApQ to get some idea. Since you are at it, watch her other videos. I don’t mean to scare you. You need to know what you are getting yourself into in case you end up going to your “quite a bit more prestigious than Brown” university. Whenever I see someone apply to both Brown and UChicago, I roll my eyes.
There are so many reasons for deferral. Helps to keep your chin up. It could be as simple as a few other kids from your area were it, maybe athletes or some under enrolled major. Be aggravated, but not devastated.
Your final answer comes end of March.